Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1943)

A&wt& 4<& &&£ The Story Thus Far: THEY had known each other "when" — Betsy Bell and Phil Jordan, back in the days when they were both performers in a second-rate Hollywood night club, Phil in a clever pantomiming stunt with his brothers Roy and Chet, Betsy as the naive little singer. For a brief moment, one evening, they had been close, too, when Phil had asked Betsy to "kiss me for luck" because the next night Haney, the big producer, was coming to hear the Jordan Brothers and that might mean that success was on the way. But Haney had chosen instead little Betsy Bell and had carried her away to groom her for stardom, leaving the Jordans discouraged, disillusioned, with nothing ahead but dreary thirdrate engagements in the sticks. Success sometimes does a surprise act, though, and that's the way it had happened for the Jordans. For here they were now, called back to Hollywood by the producer Anton Van Dirk, called back to play in one picture, in two, pointed out as the new finds of Hollywood. And little Betsy Bell, who had always remembered Phil, was a hasbeen, a girl who had been eased out before Success had even had a glimpse of her. For Haney, after promising her the lead role in his new picture, had dropped her instead. There was no Phil for her to turn to — Phil was too busy squiring Doris Foster, the lovely blonde on whom her producer was betting, although she had not yet come through in any picture as a hit. She had beauty, a lovely ethereal beauty that had bewitched Phil, and she had intelligence, too, a cruel calculating intelligence that made her see she might go far if she rode along with that coming star of the Jordan team, Phil. As for Roy and Chet — they were listening to the honied tones of their girls, Wilma and Lorna, telling them that they, not Phil, were the backbone of the act, begging them to break up the Jordan Brothers and try out on their own. Phil sensed this a bit, but he still could not believe that there was any real discord among them. It was easy to forget their quarrels, too, when he was out with Doris. They had come to a small cafe this evening, where they might be alone, and the 48 By Henry and Sylvia Lieferant floor show was on as they went to their table. Suddenly the band was playing an introduction that sounded familiar to Phil. He looked up and saw, standing before the microphone, Betsy Bell. Doris was watching his face carefully. "Someone you know, darling?" she asked. "Betsy Bell." "Oh, yes, Betsy Bell — I remember. A flop before she began, wasn't she? You know her well?" "We worked in the same show ... I'd like to see her a minute, Doris," Phil said. And abruptly he was on his feet. Now Continue the Story: LIE knows her too well, Doris thought. ** He likes her too well. She spoke up suddenly. "Shall we go, Phil? I'm really very tired." She seemed to droop before his eyes, to wilt like an Easter lily under a bright light. He felt contrite at having kept her out so late. He would send Betsy a note, now that he knew where to find her. He'd offer his help. . . . The three brothers were in their apartment when the newspapers were delivered with the reviews of the second picture. Each sprang to open one. "Sashay Round Your Partner" was a success, if not the sudden bomb that the first one was. This reviewer didn't think it an unqualified hit, but "the brothers are still our choice for the best lunatics of the year." Every reviewer singled Phil out. "The middle brother, Phil, is easily the pivot of the team — " "What about that fire engine sequence on my accordion? That wasn't anything, I suppose," Roy said. "Do I get a kind word for it?" Chet shrugged. "We're just spokes on the wheel." Both of them had been hungry for separate publicity. Only Phil got any to speak of. But he hadn't wanted it. It didn't matter to him. He knew the boys were tops. "I was a hit on that one shot radio hour," Roy informed his brothers. "They want me for more. Why should I neglect an opportunity for this?" and he waved toward the papers in disgust. It was a long, long moment while Phil stared at his brothers. Jealousy was smeared all over Roy's sullen face. Chet sat with his feet on the sofa back, entirely indifferent. What goes on here, Phil thought. How can ,we work like this? There is one time when a womar must be courageous enougr to confess her love for a man Was Betsy wise enough to knovi when that moment had come' ILLUSTRATION BY CARL MUELLER "We're giving a damnsight more to the next picture than we ever gave," he decided. "You forget your radio until this is over." Phil's hopes were not realized. The third picture was started with open wrangling, finished in active discord. Van Dirk recognized the lack of harmony and its danger, and perhaps for that reason finished shooting in record time. The verdict of the projection room was "Stinko." Van Dirk's verdict was as short and final. "Call their agent Sam Kent and tell him we're not picking up the Jordans' option." photoplay combined with movie mirror .